Fair Housing Friday: “Why Aren’t We Building the Housing We Need?”

April 19, 2022affirmatively furthering fair housing, affordable housing, April Fair Housing Month, April Fair Housing Month, Chittenden County, fair housing, fair housing fridays, Fair Housing Month, housing inequalityaffordable housing, fair housing month, fairhousingfriday, VermontCorrine Yonce

Our first #FairHousingFriday of the month happened last week! Featuring Katherine “Deac” Decarreau, Executive Director of the Winooski Housing Authority, Nate Besio, Peer Advocate Counselor Coordinator at Vermont Center for Independent Living, Carol Jaramillo, Community Builder Northgate Apartments, and Bhagawat Pudyel from the Financial Futures Community Ambassador Program at CVOEO, this conversation focused on the barriers to housing development, what kind of housing we are building, and why (or why not) the housing we are developing meets the needs of our most vulnerable community members.

In this rich conversation on housing, we heard about barriers our current available housing poses to folks who fall into Fair Housing protected classes, such as families who rent, folks with mobility needs, and New Americans. We also discussed solutions advocates would like to see implemented, like housing opportunities for folks who are recovering from addiction and not yet ready to live independently, and creative affordable housing solutions that fit the unique needs of the neighborhood. We also talked about tools, such as inclusionary zoning, that municipalities, like Burlington, use to incentive affordable housing, but rules that disincentive developing housing that the community needs, such as 3+ bedroom apartments.

Join Us for Our Next Fair Housing Fridays!

Friday, April 22nd, 12:30- 1:30 PM: “The Unique Challenges and Opportunities of Mobile Home Parks”
Friday, April April 29th 12:30 – 1:30 PM: “Is Building More the Cure?”

If you missed it last weeks’, you can find our full recording below.

Resources shared as a part of this Fair Housing Friday:

To learn more about Fair Housing Month and upcoming activities: https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/
To learn more and get help: https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/fair-housing-and-discrimination
A finding housing resource: https://www.housingdata.org/find-rental-housing (you can search specifically for accessible units)

Home Access Grant Program, funding available for reasonable modifications: https://vcil.org/services/home-access-program/

And coming up this week:

Art Drop Off for the Arts So Wonderful Art contest! Sunday April 24th from 11 am to 5 pm, or alternative dates at request. Read our full Call to Artists here
Wednesday, April 20th, 12pm- 1pm (zoom) : Fair Housing: More Than Just Words Lunch and Learn Series – Assistance Animals and Reasonable Accommodation, Hosted by HUD’s Field Policy & Management team
Wednesday, April 20th 2pm – 4pm (zoom): Bridging the Racial Homeownership Gap: Special Purpose Credit Programs, Hosted by the National Fair Housing Training Academy
Wednesday, April 20th 5 pm – 7 pm (Contois Auditorium, Burlington VT): Fair Housing Comes Home: A conversation with landlords, property managers, and housing advocates, hosted by CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project and Community Action Staff
Thursday, April 21st 3 pm – 3:30pm (Facebook Live): NVRA Live with Fair Housing Guest Speak Jess Hyman, hosted by Northwest Vermont REALTOR Association
Thursday, April 21st 7 pm – 8 pm (zoom): Fair Housing and Tenant Skills workshop for CHT Residents, hosted by Champlain Housing Trust for CHT residents with CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project
Friday, April 22nd 5 pm – 8 pm (Burlington City Hall): Arts So Wonderful – Youth Take Over Youth On Boards, hosted by Arts So Wonderful

Throughout the month of April:

Arvin A Brown Public Library in Richford, VT has a story walk highlight the book A Chair For My Mother, Follow the pages of this book along a trail and think upon the thoughtful questions posed!
CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project has designed and installed this Fair Housing exhibit in Burlington City Hall, featuring our updated protected classes iconography, ways to become an advocate, and a brief history of Fair Housing
CVOEO’s FHP is partnering with Arts So Wonderful for an art competition and cash prizes! Drop off your work April 18^th or April 24th
Check out 77Arts Installation , Gesture of Something Like Home, up until June 2nd

Burlington City Hall Fair Housing Exhibit – Celebrate Inclusive Communities and the Importance of Home

April 12, 2022April Fair Housing Month, COVID, Event, fair housing, fair housing fridays, Housing Inequality, Place matters, Vermontaffirmatively furthering fair housing, Burlington, fair housing, fair housing month, inclusive communities, VermontCorrine Yonce

Housing is a basic human right and everyone deserves equitable access to safe, accessible, and stable homes, free from discrimination. Having enough quality, affordable, and inclusive homes helps build vibrant communities, and promotes economic growth and opportunity for all. In the face of the ongoing housing crisis in Vermont, where there simply aren’t enough homes for people of all income levels – especially those of lower income and the most vulnerable in our communities – and as we emerge from the covid-19 pandemic, housing justice is of paramount importance.

This week’s Fair Housing Month event- overview:

Wednesday April 13^th, 12pm – Fair Housing: More Than Just Words Lunch and Learn Series – Sexual Harassment in HUD Housing : HUD’s Field Policy and Management will be hosting a Lunch and Learn series for Public Housing Authorities, Multifamily Owners, and Management Agents on a variety of Fair Housing topics with presenters from Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity’s Boston Regional Office.

Thursday April 14^{th 12pm-1pm} – Landlord Management Series: Fair Housing :Join Angela Zaikowski of Vermont Landlords Association, Cole Elwood of Strong Will Real Estate /Keller Williams Vermont, and Jess Hyman of the CVOEO Fair Housing Project as they cover fair housing in Vermont

Thursday April 14^th 6-8pm – SEABA Virtual ‘Affordable Housing Roundtable’ : A roundtable for Burlington’s South End artists and businesses to better understand recent housing policy reforms and engage on innovative solutions to help tackle the affordable housing challenge in Burlington’s South End.

Friday April 15^th 12:30pm Fair Housing Friday Why Aren’t We Building the Housing We Need? Featuring Katherine “Deac” Decarreau, ED Winooski Housing Authority, Nate Besio, Peer Advocate Counselor Coordinator VCIL, Carol Jaramillo. Community Builder Northgate Resident Owned Corp, in this webinar we will hear about the barriers to housing development, what kind of housing we are building, and why (or why not) the housing we are developing meets the needs of our most vulnerable community members.

Visit the City Hall Gallery at 149 Church Street in Burlington to check out CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project Fair Housing Month exhibit!

April marks the anniversary of the 1968 passage of the Fair Housing Act, which was intended to put an end to inequities in our housing system, eliminate racial segregation, and guarantee that everyone has the right to obtain a home of their choice, free from discrimination. Visit the City Hall Gallery at 149 Church Street in Burlington to learn more about the history of the Fair Housing Act, your rights and responsibilities under Federal and Vermont law, and how Fair Housing is connected to the challenges and opportunities of Vermont’s current housing landscape. These newly designed panels feature our updated protected classes iconography, ways to become an advocate, and a brief history of Fair Housing

For those of you who cannot make it, you can view our PDFs below!

This exhibit was created by the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO with illustrations by Corrine Yonce.

Special thanks to Burlington City Arts & Vantage Press.

April Is Fair Housing Month – Celebrate Inclusive Communities and the Importance of Home

March 31, 2022affirmatively furthering fair housing, April Fair Housing MonthJess Hyman

Each April we celebrate the 1968 passage of the Fair Housing Act with a series of free public education and art events to raise awareness about the importance of equal access to housing, free from discrimination, and the positive role that inclusive, affordable housing plays in thriving communities. Virtual and in-person activities include workshops, community discussions, library events, the all-ages HeART & Home Community Art Project, and an art contest and exhibit.

See below for a sampling of this year’s Fair Housing Month events. The full schedule and registration links are at https://fairhousingmonthvt.org. For more information, email fhp@cvoeo.org.

FAIR HOUSING FRIDAYS: Informational, interactive sessions hosted by the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO with guests from communities and organizations around the state, 12:30pm April 15, 22, and 29 via Zoom.
WORKSHOPS & TRAININGS: Opportunities for the general public, housing and service providers, landlords, and others to learn about fair housing rights and responsibilities and discuss current issues.
LIBRARY ACTIVITIES: Book discussions, StoryWalks®, HeART & Home art activities, and other community events at participating libraries all over the state in partnership with the VT Department of Libraries.
HeART & HOME COMMUNITY ART PROJECT: It’s easy to join this all-ages art project! 1) Pick up an art kit at CVOEO or participating local libraries or download the creative prompts and use your own materials; 2) Create a drawing, collage, painting, photo, sculpture, comic, or any other type of art; and 3) Share a photo of your creation to be added to the online community gallery and be entered in a prize drawing. Send photos to fhp@cvoeo.org or post to social media using #fairhousingmonthvt and tag @thrivingcommunitiesvt on Facebook and Instagram or @vtfairhousing on Twitter. All participants are entered to win prizes and invited to join the April 26 online Artist Reception.
ART CONTEST & EXHIBIT: Arts So Wonderful contest and exhibit on the theme of “What makes a thriving, inclusive community?” Open to all ages, with cash prizes for youth and adults. The submission deadline is April 24 with an opening reception at the gallery in South Burlington on April 29. More info at https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/asw-x-cvoeo-art-contest.

Fair Housing is the right to equal opportunity in housing choice and the right to rent or buy a dwelling free from discrimination. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and family status. Vermont has additional protections based on age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, receipt of public assistance, being a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and denial of development permitting based on the income of prospective residents. For more information about fair housing in Vermont, visit www.cvoeo.org/FHP.

The Fair Housing Project of CVOEO coordinates April Fair Housing Month activities in collaboration with Vermont Department of Libraries, Vermont Library Association, ONE Arts Center, Arts So Wonderful, Burlington City Arts, Vermont Legal Aid, Vermont Human Rights Commission, Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, CEDO, and other partners.

These activities are made possible with the support of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and event sponsorship from the “Champions of Affordable, Inclusive Housing” a group of private and non-profit housing providers and organizations including Farrell Properties, Vermont State Housing Authority, Redstone, Main Street Landing, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Evernorth, Cathedral Square, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, and Pomerleau Real Estate. Library activities and art kits are supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency, through the Library Service and Technology Act as administered by the Vermont Department of Libraries.